"... our weaknesses - were what enabled the pieces to fit together.
The key to forming a whole picture is for each one to recognize his
need for the other. We can allow our weaknesses to pull us together,
where often our strengths push us apart."

Many years ago, when I looked at
the promises in the Bible concerning Israel, the Church, the Messianic
Remnant and the End Times, I came to the conclusion that no one is strong,
wise or righteous enough to fulfill them. If God was calling us to
be involved, we had to work together as a team. If we could not develop
teamwork, we could not fulfill our destiny.

Recognizing the Need for One Another

It's never easy to work in a team. A team involves other people; and
people have problems. They bring their weaknesses, their differences of
opinions, their pride, fears, stubbornness, frustrations, etc. People come
with their "baggage" and their "garbage".

Once I distributed to our staff pieces of a children's jigsaw puzzle.
We had to slide our pieces into the center of the table to make them fit
together. The separated pieces had no meaning, but when connected, the
picture was seen.

Each piece had curves going inward and curves going outward. We interpreted
the inward curves as our weaknesses or needs, and the outward curves as our
talents or strong points. The inward curves - our weaknesses - were what
enabled the pieces to fit together. The key to forming a whole picture is
for each one to recognize his need for the other. We can allow our
weaknesses to pull us together, where often our strengths push us apart.

How to Know You're Doing it Right

I serve now in senior leadership at Revive Israel, Tikkun, Ahavat Yeshua
and Tiferet Yeshua. Thank God, each team is bearing much fruit by His
grace. I feel very aware of my own weaknesses, and often am not sure of
what I contribute. Each team is made up of gifted, talented and motivated
people in their own right.

If there is anything that I feel we have done right, it is to create a
feeling of teamwork and joint "ownership". In each of these groups, it is
apparent that there is interaction and "give and take" in the team. This in
itself provides a sense of safety for the other people involved. Nothing is
dependent on just one person.

Recently I summarized our teamwork goals in a simple three step guideline:

Your Success

Our Togetherness

Generational Transfer

The first priority is to desire the success of the others involved.
The attitude should be: "If I can help you succeed, then I have done my
job."

The second priority is maintaining the unity of the team. Everyone has to
sacrifice of himself in order to keep the togetherness. Yielding is
the price of unity.

The third area involves training and transfer. Not only are the
goals of the kingdom of God too big for any one person, they are too big
for any one generation. Transferring roles and positions goes in
both directions: "up and out" for the elders, and "down and in" for the
younger ones.

The transition is like a family in which the child then becomes the parent,
and the parent becomes the grandparent. The authority is moved gradually
away from the elder to the younger, but the elder remains in a place of
influence and honor. I hope these principles of teamwork and
covenantal relationships will help you bear much fruit in every sphere of
life (John 15:5, 8, 16).

Asher Intrater

Revive Israel

"Faithfulness is so central to Yeshua's character that it is like
a second name to Him"

Faithfulness is an important
character trait. God described Moses as "faithful in all My house" (Numbers
12:7). Abraham was faithful past the age of 100 when his body was weak and
frail. Joseph was faithful despite the lies against him, Daniel and his
friends even in the face of being executed.

Faithfulness is so central to Yeshua's character that it is like a
second name to Him: "I saw the heavens opened and behold a white horse
and the one who sat upon it was called faithful and true" (Revelation
19:11). We are called to be like Him, so faithfulness should become central
to our character as well.

From the root of the Hebrew letters AMN -
- are derived the words for
amen, faith, faithfulness, trustworthiness, integrity, moral courage,
training and coaching. There is a connection between faith and
faithfulness.

Faithfulness is faith that has been tested and proven over time.
Faithfulness is faith that has passed the test of patience and trials. When
faith goes through the process of persecution, difficulties, challenges and
temptations, it develops into faithfulness.

We should look at difficulties in this life as an opportunity for character
development. "The testing of your faith leads to patience ... let
patience have its perfect work so that you will be made perfect" (James
1:2-4). Through this process, our faith is refined and made more precious
than gold (I Peter 1:7). Faithfulness is faith refined. It is precious.

Faithfulness in this lifetime determines how we will live in the world to
come. "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in
little; I will make you ruler over much. Enter into the joy of your master"
(Matthew 25:21). It is not joyful when we are tested, but it will produce
joy in the end.

God is not "impressed" by our talents and accomplishments. However He is
looking for human beings who will be faithful. At the end of our lives, we
want to be found faithful. When we feel we have no strength or wisdom, we
can still be faithful.

In meeting recently with some of my friends and partners at Tikkun
ministries (Dan Juster, Eitan Shishkoff, David Rudolph and Paul Wilbur)
with whom I have walked together for 35 years, I mentioned that even if we
do no more projects, but simply maintain covenant relationships and
integrity, that will be a significant testimony in itself.

We believe in supernatural miracles, healing and prophecy. It is also a
great miracle when people are faithful. The last thing that Paul said about
his own life was that he had "kept the faith" unto the end (II
Timothy 4:7). In light of continuing moral scandals, the world is hungry
for testimony of spiritual leaders who are faithful to the Lord and to one
another.

We desire to build bridges between Israel and the nations. In a
significant step for our team, we have sent out one of our core
families to China for the next 1.5 - 2 years. Ariel and Vered
Blumenthal and their two young children have a special call to the Far
East: Ariel came to faith in 1992 in Japan and speaks Japanese
fluently. Since he made aliyah to Jerusalem in 1998, the Lord
has been guiding him to China as well.

Over the last few years, Ariel pursued a master's degree at Hebrew
University in China studies, with a particular focus on the "Back to
Jerusalem" movement in the modern Chinese church. As witnessed by the
thousands of attendees at the 822 Conference, the Chinese are coming to
Jerusalem in greater and greater numbers! While Ariel continues his
studies there, he and Vered will be building relationships with many
Christian groups.

Please pray for: strength, wisdom, health, language acquisition,
etc. If you are interested in following their prayer blog, please send
a short email introducing yourself to Ariel at:
ariel.blumenthal@reviveisrael.org.